There is always an uplifting piece of music that will open our deepest emotions, renew our spirit and let us know that we are not alone. There is a type of music to bring us back home to our own self and that’s what this music is about.

The most favorite Hindu festival of all, Holi has a strong connection with the divine Krishna. It’s been written in many scriptures that Krishna started this tradition of Holi with his beloved Radha. He enjoyed teasing her by throwing blue color on Radha’s fair face.

The most common way to celebrate Holi is by going outdoors, shooting with water pistols, called pichkaris and by smearing or getting smeared by loved ones with colorful paint called gulaal or abeer. Nowadays Holi marks the arrival of spring and the end of the gloomy winter, but there is more to this beautiful festival then outdoor playing and pranks.

Holi expressed through music

The philosophy of Holi, the celebration of love, can beautifully be expressed through music. Professor Harsha V. Dehejia says that Krishna’s flute is not just music but a call to eternity, his sensual love a doorway to a love transcendent, his very being an invitation to self realization.

Although there is no shortage of Holi parties in Holland, with DesiYUP we feel the need to facilitate to an audience that is drawn to the spiritual meaning of Holi. Therefore we are organizing a concert with a celebratory engagement with life on a musical level. It sounds like a simple wish, but finding the right artist for this particular concert has been challenging.

We had to find a musician that embodies the core values of this festival. A musician that is entangled with spiritual music and who is appealing to a broad audience. A musician who’s mission it is to transmit the genuine spirit of Indian music as learned by the Maestros of India and who has been sharing this music around the world merging with different cultures.

Unique phenomenon in the world of music Manish Vyas

We believe that the best musician for this concert is composer, multi-instrumentalist and performer Manish Vyas. He plays tabla and Indian percussions, santoor, harmonium and keyboard. Along his musical and spiritual path, he has composed hundreds of songs, mainly in the devotional, mystical and sufi genres. He has released 15 albums of music, from mantras to sufi, dance, easy-listening and instrumental based on Indian Ragas.

Manish conceives genuine music that makes us feel united with the whole world, because there are no inner or outer boundaries. Since Holi is almost around the corner, we have to hurry and finalize a concert date and venue very soon. Keep an eye on this blog post to find out if we will succeed in getting a date with Manish and subscribe to our DesiYUP news letter to receive an event update for Holi Utsava.

Last year DesiYUP collaborated with Darbar, Sandeep Virdee and curated an Indian concert with Debasmita Bhattacharya (sarod) and Gurdain Singh Rayatt (tabla) for the annual Holland-India music festival in de Nieuwe Kerk in Den Haag.

Thank you Henk Scholten for creating this wonderful opportunity to showcase the diversity and beauty of music, bringing new musical traditions to the Netherlands and giving young and talented musicians a great platform

to perform!Thank you for this interview Satarupa Bose Roy and INDYANA – First Indian Magazine in The Netherlands

]]>http://desiyup.com/interview-with-debasmita-battacharya/feed/06623DesiYUP brings India to Rotterdamhttp://desiyup.com/desiyup-brings-india-to-rotterdam/
http://desiyup.com/desiyup-brings-india-to-rotterdam/#respondWed, 13 Sep 2017 13:58:42 +0000http://desiyup.com/?p=6115DesiYUP was featured on the TV Channel Open Rotterdam. In this program DesiYUP founder Mahesvari Autar tells the audience what motivates her in her mission to bring meaningful music to the masses in The Netherlands.

A special thanks goes to Farzana and Aino from OPEN Rotterdam for this unique video.

DesiYUP founder Mahesvari Autar recently wrote an article that was published in the national Dutch Newspaper Trouw. The subject matter was about cultural diversity within the Dutch theaters. This article was also featured on the Trouw website and can be read in the Dutch Language here

Watching a documentary called The Human Factor which pays tribute to the unsung heroes of Bollywood orchestras, this sound byte of an arranger called Enoch Daniels really got stuck in my head. He talks about where the ‘soul lies’ in old Hindi classics. Remembering his recording days he explains that sometimes the takes were done within 2 hours. Sometimes, it used to go on for 6-7 hours. But the end result is just the duration of the song in the film, which is 5 or 6 minutes in one take. I call that perfect take, where no one makes a mistake, the unity of time by everyone, where all the musicians commit themselves in unity to the song. That unity is experienced as the soul in a song.

That sense of discipline brought magic to the songs. Be it the lyrics, melody or the instrumentation – its simplicity and complexity put together makes it memorable. Come September 7th, Holland will witness a tribute to the best romantic classics of the Hindi cinema. This musical evening will witness the one-woman band Vasuda Sharma share the stage with British singer-songwriter and entertainer Navin Kundra. Cabaretier and comedian Rayen Panday will also make a guest appearance in the show.

Vasuda Sharma as a multi-instrumentalist has a radiant energy about her. Starting her musical journey at a talent hunt show, she’s come a long way. Days before the concert, we had a quick chat with her to chronicle her story. Here are some excerpts:

Q. How did you get introduced to music and when did you decide to take it up professionally?I was introduced to music at a very young age, to be exact, when I was 4 years old by my aunt in Mathura. I did not have any knowledge of ragas, but I would still learn sargams from her. I learnt them like a lullaby – you keep repeating it over and over again. My childhood was full of Krishna bhajans and rasiyas and folk music. That’s how I got introduced to music.

To be honest, I never thought I would take it up professionally; it was always a hobby. In school and college, I would take part in competitions but it was understood in my family that academics would never be compromised. I never imagined myself getting into music professionally. It was by mere accident. I went for an audition in a talent hunt show called ‘Popstars’ in Delhi, without my parents’ knowledge. I was curious to know where I stood musically and how it would go. One thing led to another, and here I am today!

Q. You are very much at ease when you perform, whether it is as an indie songwriter, an electronic producer to conceptualising a concert on bhajans or now as a Hindi classics singer. How did you decide on taking different avatars for your music?When it comes to having different avatars for my music, it was never a conscious decision. It’s my heart’s calling. The music that I have learnt has been so diverse, it was full of folk bhajans and rasiyas. My orientation in college was very different – I was introduced to the songwriting of Alanis Morissette and I ended up picking up the guitar and singing like her! I started writing very simple songs on my own in English and Hindi and that’s where writing my own music started off.

I was intrigued by production – things like live looping have come out of my curiosity to learn different things. A lot of self-learning happened and I am still learning. It was a manifestation of varied interests because I couldn’t possibly put everything in one genre. It was my need to experiment with different sounds. The different musicians I met throughout my musical journey: It started off with Aasma, then I met a lot of indie musicians in Mumbai, then Berklee happened – a whole bunch of musicians from different cultural backgrounds came together influenced my musical tastes. I was open to different kinds of music and wanted to explore more and that led to the birth of different avatars.

Q. We all have our own point of reference to Hindi classic songs. I got acquainted to classics because of DJ Aqeel remixing these really old songs in the 90s. And then I got sucked into that era. What was your first experience of listening to classics?Yes absolutely! The first time I actually heard old classics in a big way was through remixes and what stood out were the beautiful melodies. That’s when I got more into it and dug into the classics by R.D Burman, Salil Choudhary, Madan Mohan etc. Those evergreen melodies never get old.

Vasuda Sharma performing at De Nieuwe Kerk in The Hague

Q. Who were your early influences from the classics era and how have they influenced you? I got introduced to Bollywood music a little later in life. I grew up learning and singing Krishna bhajans and brij folk music. Later, when I actually started listening to old classics and learning them, they were songs by Geeta Dutt (Jane Kahan Mera Jigar, Babuji Dheere Chalna ) and of course songs by Asha ji and Lata ji .

These old classics differ so much in their style and delivery and feel, that listening and learning them not only helped me as a vocalist, but also as a composer.

Q. You are performing with Navin Kundra for the first time. Tell us more about the programme and how are you rehearsing? This is the first time I am performing with Navin Kundra. I have heard a lot about him. I have seen his work and he is a wonderful performer. We plan to rock the concert together, it’s going to be a lot of fun. A lot of online coordination and rehearsal recording charts have been exchanged for the concert. I have a rehearsal with him and his band once I reach Holland and we’ll make sure that it is a great concert!

Q. Grapevine tells us that you have two sweet collaborations lined up with local Dutch musicians. Tell us more about the songs and their production.Yes, I have some really fun collaborations with two different artists from Holland. I am working on a beautiful bhajan with Prewien Pandohi – Mishre and other one is a cover version of the all time classic ‘Tumse Milke’ with renowned comedian-artist, Rayen Pandey. I had a wonderful time working with both of them.

Q. What are some of the songs that the audience can expect on the day of the concert? Are you focussing on a particular genre or an artist? For the 7th September concert at Luxor Theatre, Hindi Cinema Classics is the theme so I have chosen songs from the 60s and the 70s. Classic evergreen melodies by RD Burman, Lakshmikant Pyarelal, Salil Choudhary etc and many others are a part of my setlist.

Q. Apart from the concert, what do you plan to do in Holland? Any special places to visit, people to meet?Apart from the main concert, there are two bhajan concerts that are lined up and a FullMoon Babylon event where I am performing my electronic looping set. I am really looking forward to these other gigs that I will be performing at.

Holland has always been a work trip. I have never had the chance to travel around. If I get time, I do plan to take off for 2-3 days and explore the country!

Don’t miss this musical extravaganza at the Oude Luxor Theater on the 7th of September. Check out the event on Facebook.

This romantic song ‘Tumse Milke’ bring together two very talented artists: singer-songwriter Vasuda Sharma collaborated with Dutch stand-up comedian Rayen Panday. It’s been an unique project to bring these two artists together and they will be performing together live, on the 7th of September for the Hindi Cinema Classics II concert in Oude Luxor Theater in Rotterdam. Make sure you are part of this experience!

‘Tere Naam’ – One doesn’t need to be surrounded by incense or regular trips to temples to be near to God. Spirituality is a way of life. The spirit is inside to do good karma, doing one’s deed sincerely is in itself a worship to the almighty. The Supreme being, the creator of all, who we call God, Allah, Jesus, Krishna or Ram, that resides in us.

‘Midnight Longing’ is connecting musicians based in three different continents together. Raag Bageshri, a popular late night Raga, inflicts emotions of desire, longing and romance awaiting for One’s beloved. The aesthetic form of this Raag enables the mind to catch a glimpse of the deeper spiritual beauty through Filter Coffee’s “Ethnotronic” music style anchored by Prewien’s earthy vocals and Anuj’s hypnotic spoken word.

a thirst quenched one drop of my eyelids at a time in the pulse of the darkness of my blinks

those moments of darkness between the vision of your light

those moments I long for you

how could I have been without you all this time

I cannot think…

a room full of strangers, we are alone

in this moment you are my queen

and I am your throne

swaying at 140 beats per minute

hearts… yours? mine? ours?

the scent of you brushing by as you spin

this whole dance floor is empty

you see

love is a club

I’ve paid my cover

and want to be intoxicated

standing here now, unable to hold my heart’s balance

drunk on you

high on life

I cannot believe in the midst of this world’s chaos

that I found you

that you are my life

moments

days

blinks

silence

sound

you.

About Filter Coffee

Filter Coffee is an Ethnotronic collaborative, brainchild of Flautist Shriram and Percussionist Swarupa, who organically combine virtuosic improvisation with electronic soundscapes and hypnotic grooves. “Ethnotronic” – Ethnic and Electronic is Filter Coffee’s own signature brew that offers a new look at Classical/Folk music through a modern electronic perspective.

Anuj Rastogi is a Toronto-based musician, film composer, writer, and spoken word poet. Anuj has composed music for film scores and studio albums, and has performed with a number of diverse artists from across Canada, the US, the UK and India. Anuj brings a forward a musical sensitivity that is a unique product of his intuition and environment. As a Spoken Word Poet and Writer, Anuj has cultivated his worldly sensibilities and uses elements of word play and storyline that thread together broad narratives about social, political, personal and human insights. Learn more about Anuj at www.omnesia.com

A vocalist born in Surinam, Prewien received his musical grooming in Rotterdam under the tutelage of Shree Koustuv Ray. He is specialized in North Indian Classical and Semi-Classical Music styles. He is currently active teaching music and performing in the Netherlands. And this year he will perform for the Holland-India Music Festival.

My one on one interaction with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi can be stated as an epic moment. On the 27th of June 2017 he visited The Hague for just halve a day. A brand new sports campus was chosen by the Embassy of India to organize PM’s welcome. In total 3000 members of the Indian Diaspora community attended to this special occasion were PM Modi gave an impactful speech about the importance of the Sarnami Hindustani community.

Since this was PM Modi’s first visit to The Netherlands the entire event was even more special. DesiYUP had the honor to open the cultural program with Indian World Music band Maati Baani, duo Kartik Shah and Nirali performed their favorite songs for the Diaspora Community. Right after their performance a small group of 20 pre-selected members of the Indian Diaspora were honored by the Embassy of India and Ambassador H.E. Venu Rajamony to have a one on one meet and greet with Prime Minister Modi. In this brief moment surrounded by members of the press and photographers the Ambassador introduced each of us separately, introducing DesiYUP as the soft power of India. This brief interaction was for sure one of the most memorable moments of 2017.

To mark the third International Day of Yoga, the Embassy of India, The Hague and The Gandhi Centre, the Cultural Wing of the Embassy will be organizing an event in the Atrium, City Hall of The Hague on Sunday, June 18, 2017 and 10.00hrs. The event is open to the public, free of charge and the Ambassador of India Venu Rajamony will take the lead during the yoga session. Similar sessions will be held in 177 other countries to attract both beginners as well as experienced practitioners of yoga, making the 3rd International Day of Yoga a global success. For more information: http://www.indianembassy.nl/news_detail.php?id=162

About Yoga

Yoga, a 5,000-year-old physical, mental and spiritual practice having its origin in India, aims to transform body and mind. The word ‘yoga’ which derives from Sanskrit means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness.

The international appeal of Yoga

21 June was declared as the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations General Assembly on 11 December 2014, after the call for the adoption by Indian Prime Minister during his address to UN General Assembly where in he stated: “Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature.”

United Nations

“The General Assembly has recognized the holistic benefits of this timeless practice and its inherent compatibility with the principles and values of the United Nations. Yoga offers a simple, accessible and inclusive means to promote physical and spiritual health and well-being. It promotes respect for one’s fellow human beings and for the planet we share. And yoga does not discriminate; to varying degrees, all people can practice, regardless of their relative strength, age or ability”, Secretary General to the United Nations.

]]>http://desiyup.com/h-e-ambassador-venu-rajamony-international-yoga-day-invitation/feed/05152Pandit Chaurasia meets Ambassador Venu Rajamonyhttp://desiyup.com/pandit-chaurasia-meets-ambassador-venu-rajamony/
http://desiyup.com/pandit-chaurasia-meets-ambassador-venu-rajamony/#respondSat, 17 Jun 2017 20:52:31 +0000http://desiyup.com/?p=5139Ambassador Venu Rajamony welcomed by Padma Vibhushan Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia in the Netherlands. Panditji informed the ambassador about the art and music culture in the Netherlands and his 27 year long association with World Music Department WMDC (Codarts) in Rotterdam. Pandit Chaurasia is one of the best international promoters of Indian Classical Music and Holland should be honored and blessed with his love and support.

]]>http://desiyup.com/pandit-chaurasia-meets-ambassador-venu-rajamony/feed/05139VPRO Vrije Geluiden highlights concert: Soul to Soulhttp://desiyup.com/vpro-vrije-geluiden-highlights-concert-soul-to-soul/
http://desiyup.com/vpro-vrije-geluiden-highlights-concert-soul-to-soul/#respondWed, 14 Jun 2017 11:40:49 +0000http://desiyup.com/?p=5638The Dutch national music platform “Vrije Geluiden” has highlighted the concert Soul to Soul in which Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia will perform on the 25th of June.

To read the newsletter with also a lot more information about music in the Netherlands. Click on the image.

]]>http://desiyup.com/vpro-vrije-geluiden-highlights-concert-soul-to-soul/feed/05638UP, CLOSE AND PERSONAL with PANDIT SHIVKUMAR SHARMAhttp://desiyup.com/up-close-and-personal-with-pandit-shivkumar-sharma/
http://desiyup.com/up-close-and-personal-with-pandit-shivkumar-sharma/#respondSat, 03 Jun 2017 22:37:12 +0000http://desiyup.com/?p=5106AN INTRODUCTION TO INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC

Art in its mysticity is experienced in different forms all over the world. It is said that the culture of a place is directly reflected in the classical forms of its art. Indian music has an abundant, unbroken heritage that has been gathered for centuries together through its oral traditions. The origins of Indian classical music can be traced back to spirituality.

Many moons ago, it was confined to the walls of the temples and was also offered as a patronage to the palaces that dotted India. It has its own elaborate grammar and aesthetics and is also used as a form of worship where devotees offer ‘sound’ as their prayer. It has evolved into a synthesis of influences brought by the temple culture and the Mughal rulers.

They say that nothing can soothe your soul like Indian classical music. A well-rendered classical piece would have melodic magnetism married to aesthetic fulfilment.

JUGALBANDI

Jugalbandi literally means ‘entwined twins’. In the context of Indian classical music, it refers to the coming together of voices or instruments in a duet. Each instrument has its own sound, and when they are brought together, they create magic. That is the beauty of a good jugalbandi. Both the musicians play off each other energies without any one sound dominating the other. When people express a higher form of consciousness, they truly connect to the music. It manifests through a multitude of emotions, each having its own aesthetic significance.

Over the years, musical maestros Pandit ShivKumar Sharma and Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia have presented works that are deeply seeped in tradition yet seeking to reach into the infinite realm of creativity. Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma is an Indian santoor player from Jammu and Kashmir. It is a 100-string delicate musical instrument that is played using a variety of techniques – plucking, rubbing, vibrating, strumming – each to deliver its own sound. In an attempt to celebrate the vitality of our musical landscape, we have a one-on-one conversation with both the maestros. First up, is Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma.

Q. The Shiv-Hari connection from the ‘Call of the Valley’ days to the ‘Valley Recalls’ to now – tell us how you’ve come along.

Hari and I did an LP in Sweden and we called it the Shiv-Hari combination. Later on it was released by HMV. After that we played a lot of jugalbandis abroad. ‘Valley Recalls’ was done by a London-based record company called Navras Records and was a recording of a live performance in Bombay.

In the 1970s, we toured together and in the beginning of 80s, we went solo. We are coming together after a long time and playing in Holland for the first time. And we are excited to see how this unfolds.

Q. What is the one thing you remember of when you met Hariji for the first time?

A. The first time we met was at a youth festival. I came from Jammu and Kashmir and he came from Cuttack. In 1961, we met in Bombay in a film recording studio. You meet so many people in life, but remain in touch with very few that you can call family.

We developed a bonding – with God’s grace – we have some previous birth connection. I have a feeling that this was destined. It cannot be explained in words, but our relationship, our bond, comes out in our playing. There is complete understanding and appreciation for each other as people and that reflects in our music.

Q. You are going to be performing in Holland for the first time together. Is there anything special for the audience?

A. I have played individually in Holland, but this is the first time that the Shiv-Hari duo is performing together. Indian classical music is based on two factors – what time of the day is the concert scheduled – we will choose the raag depending on the time of the day. The second factor is that what we play is not rehearsed – we improvise as we feed on each other’s energy. The beauty is that we first discuss the raag and take it further from there.

Q. What are you expecting from the audience?

A. My past experience of Holland has been very nice. I am coming to Holland after a few years and am curious to know about the changes. Our music is appreciated everywhere and we are looking forward to a receptive audience. The first and foremost is that we enjoy our own music and then the audience also automatically begins to enjoy it.

Q. What is the relationship between spirituality and Indian classical music?

A. Spirituality is the origin of classical music. It is meant for an inner experience. It relaxes you, calms you and creates a very happy feeling.

Q. What is your advice to the younger generation of classical musicians

A. Mere yeh maana hai ki (I believe that) you should never give advice unless it is sought for. Some young musicians personally ask me, and I can tell them what I think.

I have never been 100% satisfied with any of my concerts. I am a self-critic. But I do remember a moment from one of my concerts at the Osho ashram in Pune. I played for an hour and after I finished, nobody clapped and everyone was sitting in the same posture. I left the stage and the audience didn’t open their eyes, didn’t look at me and I didn’t play anymore. That for me, was the biggest compliment – when people connected with my music like spirituality.

Thank you Panditji for your time. We are looking forward to hearing the wonderful jugalbandi of Shiv-Hari perform in Holland for the first time on 25th June at 3 PM. More details here.

Author: Vipasha Tilak

]]>http://desiyup.com/up-close-and-personal-with-pandit-shivkumar-sharma/feed/05106UP, CLOSE AND PERSONAL with PANDIT HARIPRASAD CHAURASIAhttp://desiyup.com/up-close-and-personal-with-pandit-hariprasad-chaurasia/
http://desiyup.com/up-close-and-personal-with-pandit-hariprasad-chaurasia/#respondSat, 03 Jun 2017 16:34:22 +0000http://desiyup.com/?p=5099On a sultry Sunday evening, we decide to visit Pandit Hariprasad Charausia’s gurukul. Tucked in a corner in the Mumbai suburbs, we enter his school to be greeted with the melodic notes of the bansuri. There is a serene feeling in the atmosphere. Kehte hain na, alag hi mauhaul hai. (They say, it’s a different vibe altogether!) Any guest who enters the complex needs to be approved by Panditji’s friendly dogs! The weather in Bombay is very humid. In between shots, Panditji never fails to ask us if we want some water. He has a magnetic personality and once he starts to speak, you are just swept into his enigmatic world. Here’s how our conversation went:

Do you remember when you met Shivji for the first time?

My first encounter with him, well atleast what I can remember, was in 1957-58 in Delhi at Talkatora Garden. He came from Jammu University and I came from Orissa and we met at a youth festival. We did not have much interaction the first time. He plays so well and I really appreciated his music. We then met in Bombay for the second time in a recording studio.

How do you think the relationship of Shiv-Hari has changed over the years from the ‘Call of the Valley’ days to now. It is a long lasting relationship that started in the 50s.

I don’t think that anything has changed. We are the same. The only thing that has changed is our age! Our nature, our friendship, nothing has changed. Whenever we meet (these days he’s very busy travelling and I am busy with my gurukul), there is the same love and affection because we are closer than brothers.

Tell us more about your gurukul.

The Gurukul is not a school and therefore there is no specific age group or time to learn. Here it is devotion, this is a sort of temple, you can stay here till you can devote. You can sit here for as long as you want, come here whenever you want, there is no door here. We start at 6 am, and we end at 9 pm. So it just goes on. It’s not like school where you just blow the whistle or ring the bell and it closes at 5. The food and attendance is absolutely free at the Gurukul.

There are 18 or 19 students who stay here, and there are about 40-50 students who come from other places and stay as paying lodgers. We eat together, have breakfast together and we talk a lot. There are students from Bengal, Orissa and Assam and other states of India. We have students from foreign countries as well.

Can you tell us how the day starts for Hari ji?

The first thing I do in the morning is drink water, a whole bottle of water. I purify my heart, I wash my face and then have some almonds. After almonds, I have some tobacco, and then go for a walk and some exercise, just to stay young. And then I have no idea how the day passes and the next day begins.

Classical music has evolved over the years. How can we make sure the youngsters are connected to the idea of classical music?

For the past 20-25 years, I have been going every year to schools and colleges to meet the youth and expose them to Indian classical music. I encourage them to ask questions and the kind of interest in Indian youngsters is so much that it makes me very happy. They don’t want to know about the ragas but are inquisitive about classical music history and the singers – what they feel with their singing. So we tell them a bit about their research, their practice and their singing technique. The knowledge they gain in these two hours can never be found in a book.

And when I go to colleges like IIM, they have questions about the flute (bansuri) and are curious about how we make the flutes. You can find other instruments but there is no factory for making flute.

The flute is one the oldest instruments and was created by Lord Krishna. It can’t be made in a factory as it has to be made according to the length of your fingers and your blowing, so you have to make it yourself. This is all connected to nature – there is no other instrument connected to God in this way, or has been created by Lord Krishna. There is no string to tune, but when you are going to play you have to tune to yourself, you are going with the flow of your breath. Only if you know how to tune yourself, you can learn to play it. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to play the flute.

So this is the first time that Shiv Hari are playing in Holland as Shiv-Hari Jugalbandi (duet), so what do you think the audience can expect from you?

The audience would like to listen to the best kind of sound, the best kind of music, classical music and they’ve been waiting for a long time. We will try our best to fulfil their desire. I sincerely hope that they will like our programme.

What are you going to be playing in the concert?

Once I meet him personally, we shall decide what to perform. I want to the music to easily come from both of us. Before the concert, we shall meet and explore the ragas that we love together and perform some of them.

Which one was your first abroad trip?

It was in 1966 in London. I was playing at the Royal Albert Hall and was the best well known hall at that time. The audience for the concert included George Harrison, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Yahudi Menuhin, his wife. Believe it or not, I was so nervous and tensed, but they came to the green room to meet and bless me before the concert.

What is the feeling of performing at a concert?

When I go to perform at a concert, I feel that I am going to a temple for pooja for my prayer. So I don’t have anything special in my mind because my bhakti (devotion) is to play in front of God and pray something. I don’t feel like I am sitting with the audience and wondering if they are enjoying it or not, or if I am playing right or wrong. I just forget everything and just play.

]]>http://desiyup.com/up-close-and-personal-with-pandit-hariprasad-chaurasia/feed/05099DesiYUP Interviews Author Ernest van der Kwast about Arundhati Royhttp://desiyup.com/desiyup-interviews-author-ernest-van-der-kwast-about-arundhati-roy/
http://desiyup.com/desiyup-interviews-author-ernest-van-der-kwast-about-arundhati-roy/#respondThu, 11 May 2017 13:42:55 +0000http://desiyup.com/?p=5025Booker Prize Winner Arundhati Roy comes to Rotterdam
The Indian writer and political activist Arundhati Roy will be appearing in the Doelen in Rotterdam on 16th June 2017. In 2014 Time magazine called her ‘one of the top hundred most influential people in the world’. In early June, her long awaited second novel, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, will appear, the follow-up to The God of Small Things with which she won the prestigious Booker Prize. After her debut, Arundhati Roy also emerged as a political activist and anti-globalist who mounted the barricades for the environment. She has also campaigned for the rights of ethnic and religious minorities in India. The writer Ernest van der Kwast will be interviewing Roy about her work and her struggle.